Gas Station in Wasserstadt Berlin Mitte

The gas station at Heidestraße 18 in Berlin-Mitte was a TotalEnergies station until 2022. It was located in the Europacity urban development area, which runs along Heidestraße and is characterized by new construction projects such as Wasserstadt Mitte. After the gas station closed, the property was held by Adler Real Estate AG and was sold in 2023 to the Hilpert Group from Würzburg. The transaction was brokered by Colliers and generated a net profit for Adler in the double-digit million range, with the purchase price reportedly below 7,000 euros per square meter according to market sources. The almost 2,900 square meter developed site is considered one of the last undeveloped plots in Europacity. According to the development plan, mixed-use or fully commercial development is possible here. With the sale and future development of the property, further urbanization and upgrading of Wasserstadt Mitte is being advanced.

Wasserstadt Berlin Mitte is a modern urban quarter in the Mitte district, stretching along the Berlin-Spandauer shipping canal and is part of the larger Europacity development. Europacity is an urban area between the central train station and Humboldthafen, characterized by numerous new construction projects. In Wasserstadt Mitte, 711 residential units were built, including 213 co-living apartments, as well as around 3,000 square meters of commercial space for retail, gastronomy, and a daycare center. Completion took place in 2019.

Wasserstadt Berlin Mitte has been the subject of public discussion several times due to various criticisms. A central point of criticism concerns social mixing, as the quarter is primarily aimed at high-priced apartments and co-living models, resulting in hardly any affordable housing. In addition, the transport connections were criticized because the public infrastructure is considered insufficient and traffic planning primarily favors car traffic. The building density and the provision of public green spaces were also criticized as being too low, which could restrict the quality of living. Before and during the construction phase, there were also local initiatives and protests demanding more citizen participation in planning and expressing concerns that the quarter would become more of an investor-driven development than a lively residential area.